שְׁנָא H8133
To change, be altered, or be different; Aramaic verb used of transformations of appearance, character, or decrees in Daniel and Ezra
This Aramaic verb dominates the book of Daniel, where change — of faces, kingdoms, laws, and times — is a constant theme. It covers the full arc from intransitive change (Nebuchadnezzar's countenance 'was changed,' Dan 3:19) to active alteration (God 'changes times and seasons,' Dan 2:21) to the stative sense of being fundamentally different (the fourth beast 'was different from all the others,' Dan 7:7). Spanish distinguishes neatly between 'se alteró' for involuntary change and 'cambia' for deliberate alteration, mirroring the Hebrew stem distinctions.
Senses
1. be changed, undergo change — The intransitive dynamic sense — to undergo change or become altered — appears most vividly when Belshazzar's face changes color at the handwriting on the wall (Dan 5:6, 9) and when Nebuchadnezzar's countenance changes in fury (Dan 3:19). The Aramaic garments of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were not changed by the fire (Dan 3:27). Spanish 'se alteró' captures the involuntary, reflexive quality: something happens to the subject rather than by the subject's will. 9×
AR["(تَغَيَّرَتْ)","[تَغَيَّرَتْ]","تَتَغَيَّرْ","تَغَيَّرَ","تَغَيَّرَتْ","يَتَغَيَّرَ","يَتَغَيَّرُ","يَتَغَيَّرْ"]·ben["(বদলে-গেল)","[বদলে-গেল]","পরিবর্তিত-হচ্ছিল","পরিবর্তিত-হবে","পরিবর্তিত-হল","পরিবর্তিত-হোক","বদলায়","বদলেছিল"]·DE["veraendern"]·EN["(qere:changed)","[ketiv:changed]","change","changed","changing","will-change","would-be-changed"]·FR["changer"]·heb["השתנה","השתנו","ישתנה","ישתנו","שונו","שונים","תשתנה"]·HI["बदल-गई","बदल-गया","बदल-जाए","बदल-रही-थी","बदले"]·ID["[berubah]","berubah"]·IT["cambiare"]·jav["(ewah)","[ewah]","ewah","sami-éwah","éwah"]·KO["바뀌지","변하게-하다","변하다","변하였고","변하지","변했다"]·PT["[mudou]","fosse-mudado","mudaram","mude","mudou","se-mude","se-mudou"]·RU["(изменилось)","[изменилось]","изменились","изменилось","изменился","изменится","пусть-изменится"]·ES["(se-alteró)","[se-alteró]","cambiaba","cambie","cambió","fuera-cambiado","se-alteraron"]·SW["(ilibadilika)","[ilibadilika]","badilika","badilishwe","ilibadilika","utabadilika"]·TR["(değişti)","[değişti]","değişinceye","değişmesin","değişmişti","değişsin","değişti"]·urd["بدل-جائے","بدل-گئی","بدل-گیا","بدلیں","بدلے"]
2. be different, diverse — The stative sense — to be different or diverse — clusters in Daniel 7's vision of the four beasts, where each kingdom 'is different from' (מִן) the others (Dan 7:3, 7, 19, 23, 24). This is not change over time but inherent distinctiveness. The preposition מִן marks comparison, and Spanish 'diferente/diferentes' confirms this is a quality-of-being rather than a process-of-becoming, distinguishing it clearly from the dynamic change of Sense 1. 5×
AR["مُخْتَلِفًا","مُخْتَلِفٌ","مُخْتَلِفَةٍ","يَخْتَلِفُ"]·ben["ভিন্ন","ভিন্ন-ছিল","ভিন্ন-হবে"]·DE["veraendern"]·EN["different","will-be-different"]·FR["changer"]·heb["ישתנה","שונה","שונות","תשתנה"]·HI["भिन्न","भिन्न-था","भिन्न-होगा"]·ID["berbeda"]·IT["cambiare"]·jav["badhé-béda","béda","béda-béda"]·KO["다른","다를","다를것이다"]·PT["diferente","diferentes","era-diferente","será-diferente"]·RU["будет-отличаться","отличающийся","отличным","различающихся"]·ES["diferente","diferentes","era-diferente","será-diferente"]·SW["alikuwa-tofauti","atakuwa-tofauti","tofauti","utakuwa-tofauti","walikuwa-tofauti"]·TR["farklı","farklı-olacak","farklıydı"]·urd["مختلف","مختلف-تھا","مختلف-ہو-گا","مختلف-ہو-گی"]
3. change, alter (causative) — The active-transitive causative sense appears when a powerful agent deliberately alters something: God changes times and seasons (Dan 2:21), the saints' persecutor intends to change times and law (Dan 7:25), and three men changed the king's word by refusing to bow (Dan 3:28). Ezra 6:11-12 extends this to royal edicts — anyone who alters the decree faces destruction. Spanish 'cambia/cambiar' and the active constructions confirm volitional agency. 5×
AR["أَنْ-يُغَيِّرَ","غَيَّرُوا","لِ-تَغْيِير","مُغَيِّرُ","يُغَيِّر"]·ben["পরিবর্তন-করতে","পরিবর্তন-করবে","পরিবর্তন-করেন","বদলেছিল"]·DE["[יהשנא]","[להשניה]","veraendern"]·EN["alters","changed","changes","to-alter","to-change"]·FR["changer"]·heb["יהשנא","ל-השניה","לשנות","משנה","שינו"]·HI["बदलता-है","बदलने-को","बदली-उन्होंने"]·ID["mengubah","mereka-melanggar","untuk-mengubah"]·IT["cambiare"]·jav["kangge-ngewahi","ngewahi","sami-ewah","supados-ngowahi"]·KO["바꾸다","바꾸신다","바꿤다","에-바꾸기를","위해-바꾸다"]·PT["alterar","muda","mudar","mudaram","para-alterar"]·RU["изменили","изменит","изменить","изменяющий"]·ES["cambia","cambiar","cambie","para-cambiar","transgredieron"]·SW["anabadilisha","atabadilisha","kubadilisha","walibadilisha"]·TR["degistirirse","degistirmek-icin","değiştirdiler","değiştirir","değiştirmeyi"]·urd["بدل-دی","بدلنے-والا","بدلنے-کا","بدلے","لے-بدلنے-کو"]
4. be changed (passive of decree/edict) — The passive counterpart to Sense 3, focusing on decrees and edicts as subjects that 'are changed' or 'cannot be changed.' Daniel 6:8 and 6:15 invoke the famous immutability of the laws of the Medes and Persians — the decree 'cannot be changed.' Daniel 4:16 applies the passive to Nebuchadnezzar's heart being changed from human to animal. Spanish 'puede ser cambiada' and 'sea cambiado' reflect the passive voice precisely, emphasizing the decree's status rather than any agent's action. 3×
AR["تُغَيَّرُ","يُغَيَّرُ"]·ben["পরিবর্তন-হবে","পরিবর্তিত-হোক"]·DE["veraendern"]·EN["let-be-changed","to-be-changed"]·FR["changer"]·heb["ישנו","לשנות"]·HI["बदल-जाए","बदलने-के-लिए"]·ID["biarlah-diubah","dapat-diubah"]·IT["cambiare"]·jav["dipun-gantos","saged-dipunewahi"]·KO["바꿀지니","변개되게","변개하리이다"]·PT["pode-ser-mudado","possa-ser-mudado","seja-mudado"]·RU["изменится","изменяется","пусть-изменят"]·ES["puede-ser-cambiada","sea-cambiado"]·SW["badilishwe","utabadilishwa"]·TR["değiştirilebilir","değiştirilsin"]·urd["بدل-دیا-جائے","بدلا-جا-سکتا","بدلی-جائے"]
Related Senses
H5921a 1. upon, on, over (spatial) (5443×)H0413 1. directional: to, toward (5366×)H1121a 1. son, male offspring, descendant (4914×)H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)H4428 1. king, human ruler (2518×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)H6440 1. before, in front of (spatial) (1870×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H3027 1. physical hand (body part) (1596×)H1697 1. word, speech, utterance (1235×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
[שְׁנָא] vb. change (v. BH I. שׁנה);— Pe. Pf. 3 mpl. שְׁנוֹ Dn 3:27, sf. שְׁנוֹ֫הִי 5:6 (read prob. שְׁנוֹ עֲלוֹהִי); Impf. 3 ms. יִשְׁנֵא 7:24, 3 fs. תִּשְׁנֵא 6:18; 7:23; Pt. act. fs. שַׁנְיָא 7:19; mpl. שָׁנַ֫יִן 5:9, fpl. שָֽׁנְיָן 7:3;—intrans. change, be changed: of garment, by fire Dn 3:27, brightness (זִיו) of face 5:6, 9, purpose 6:18; be different from (מִן) 7:3, 19, 23, 24. Pa. Pf. 3…